Granny Gets a Facebook Page

Social media use has grown dramatically across all age groups, but older users
have been adopting networking tools particularly fast. New research today
released by Pew Internet indicates that social networking use among Internet
users age 50 and older nearly doubled in the past year - from 22% in April 2009
to 42% in May 2010.

Some key findings include:
+ Between April 2009 and May 2010, social networking use among internet users
ages 50-64 grew by 88%–from 25% to 47%.
+ During the same period, use among those ages 65 and older grew 100%–from 13%
to 26%.
+ By comparison, social networking use among users ages 18-29 grew by 13%—from
76% to 86%.
+ One in five (20%) online adults ages 50-64 say they use social networking
sites on a typical day, up from 10% one year ago.
+ Among adults ages 65 and older, 13% log on to social networking sites on a
typical day, compared with just 4% who did so in 2009.

“Young adults continue to be the heaviest users of social media, but their
growth pales in comparison with recent gains made by older users,” explains Mary
Madden, Senior Research Specialist and author of the report. “Email is still the
primary way that older users maintain contact with friends, families and
colleagues, but many older users now rely on social network platforms to help
manage their daily communications.”